Yorkshire communities ‘Go Green’ for annual Village Halls Week

Village halls across North, South and West Yorkshire will be taking part in the annual Village Halls Week celebrations, to showcase and encourage green initiatives within community buildings.

Between 18-24 March, Village Halls Week is a national campaign celebrating village halls for their contributions to their local communities. This year’s theme of ‘Go Green’ will look at how community buildings can become more energy efficient and how village committees can support environmentally friendly behaviours within their own communities.

Throughout the week-long celebration, participating village halls will host their own events, share environmental practices and gain inspiration from environmentally successful community buildings.

Sally Scales, chair at Whixley Village Hall, shares her thoughts: “From pantomimes and festive celebrations to coffee mornings and sports matches, Whixley Village Hall is truly the centre of our community, and has been ever since 1935.

“The Village Halls Week campaign and its ‘Go Green’ messaging has never felt more vital, and now more than ever we need to focus on preserving our community buildings for the next generation. Funding is available for green initiatives, and our village hall is undertaking a decarbonisation project which includes a complete replacement of our old and inefficient heating system. We feel proud to be helping to secure the future of this vital community space. I’d heartily encourage any village hall to use this week as a time to focus on how their venue can go green.”

Jane Colthup, chief executive at Community First Yorkshire, continued: “Village Halls Week provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate the beating hearts of our communities, and this year’s theme of ‘Go Green’ will allow our communities to share knowledge and gain inspiration, helping to preserve our environment and allow our community buildings to thrive for many more successful years to come.

“Whixley Village Hall is the perfect example of what community buildings can do to work towards their green goals, and we’re keen to actively encourage community groups to get in touch with us to see what funding is available to them.”

Community First Yorkshire provides support and advice to village halls across North, South and West Yorkshire, including training, resources and bespoke one to one support. The organisation is the Rural Community Council for North, South and West Yorkshire and a strong advocate for rural issues.

Village Halls Week takes place from Monday 18 to Sunday 24 March 2024.